Folding umbrella.



C. H. ELY.

FOLDING UMBRELLA. APPLxcATloN FILED oc. 2s, 1914.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

Inventor Attorneys.

Ill

Witnesses 'rl-m coLuMBxA PLANaaRAPH CU.. WASHINGTON, n. C.

CHARLES H. ELY, 0F EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

Application iled October 23, 1914. Serial No. 868,150.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES I-I. ELY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of East Orange, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Folding Umbrella, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to folding umbrellas of a type in which the ribs are made of a plurality of telescopic sections.

This invention is an improvement upon the folding umbrella forming the subject matter of my Patent No. 949,759 dated February 22, 1910.

rIhe objects I have in view are to provide a simple and effective lock for the sections and to produce a rib which will be strong and durable, said lock being operable without need of opening the umbrella. In my patent above referred to the ribs are made in two sections which telescope when the umbrella is folded. rIhese sections are held in expanded condition by means of a lock which is actuated by a device manually operated from the inside of the umbrella. This requires that the umbrella be partly open so that the finger of the operator can Vdisengage the latches on all the ribs.

The principal object of the present invention is to avoid the necessity of opening the umbrella in order to disengage the latches.

Another object is to provide means for simultaneously actuating all of the Vlatch disengaging means.

These and further objects will more fully appear from the following specification and accompanying drawings, considered together or separately.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the staff and one rib of an umbrella embodying the invention, the point and handle of the umbrella being broken ofi", and the staff, rib and stretcher being broken away. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the rib on an enlarged scale, showing it in extended condition. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a. section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section on theline 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing part of the rib partially collapsed. Fig. 7 is an elevation of a portion of the rib. Fig.

8' is a. sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, but in completely closed positi'on.

In all of the views, like parts are designated by the same reference characters.

Each rib is formed of two sections, an upper section 1 and a tip section 2. The ribs are pivoted in the usual manner to the crown 3. The crown is secured in the usual manner to the staff 4. This staff may be of any form, a suitable one being illustrated in Patent No. 838,092, issued December 11, 1906, to Charles II. Ely, James YV. Danser and I-Ienry I. Schanclr. rIhe sections of the rib are preferably formed of U-cross-section shown in Fig. 3, the tip section 2 sliding within the Lipper section 1. The parts are secured together by means of a lower band 5. and upper band 6. rihe upper band 6, as illustrated, comprises a band of metal surrounding the two sections of the tip. The band 5 is somewhat longer and, as shown in Fig. 2, comprises a curved or trough-shaped tip of some length, soldered or otherwise secured to the lower end of the upper section 1 and having the limbs of the curved part connected by a bridge 14, this bridge having a central depression as shown in Fig. 3 which enters partly into the tip section and serves as a guide therefor. The umbrella is provided with the usual stretchers 7, which are pivoted at 8 to the tip of the rib and are also pivoted to the sleeve 9.

As illustrated in my Patent No. 949,759, before referred to, the two sections of the rib are connected together by a latch so that when they are in expanded condition the umbrella can be opened. As illustrated in the drawings, this latch has a movable bar spring member 11. This member carries a linger part 12. On this finger part is a notch 13 which engages with the bridge 14. As shown in Fig. 2, the bar spring member 11 is carried by the tip section 2 of the rib and the bridge 14 is carried by the upper section 1 of the rib. It is apparent that when the notch 13 straddles the bridge 14 the two sections of the rib cannot slide in relation to one another.

For the purpose of raising the latch when the sections of the rib are expanded, after having been collapsed, so as to allow the notch 13 to engage with the bridge 14, I provide Vthe finger 12 with a cam 15. This cam 15 will engage with the bridge 14 when the two sections are being expanded, after having been collapsed, `and it will lift up the linger part of the latch against the tension of the spring bar 11, thus allowing the notch 13 in the latch to engagel with the bridge 14 and lock the parts together.

For the purpose of raising the latch and unlocking the sections so that the rib may be collapsed, a rod 16 is provided. This rod is located within the tipv section of the rib. 1t is provided on its inner end with a cam This cam engages with a cam 18 on the linger 12. Tt is apparent that by moving the rod toward the finger the cams 17 and 18 will engage, thus moving away the notch 18 from the bridge 14, as is shown in-Fig. 6.7v `When in this position, the latch having been disengaged, the rib may be collapsed.

For the purpose of moving the rod, av projecting piece 19 is provided. This projecting piece extends beyond the end of the rib and takes the place of the tip usually provided on umbrella ribs. Tn order to ho-ld the rod in position, the end of the tip section 2 is provided with a sleeve 20. This sleeve is of trough shape, as shown in Fig. 4, and is soldered or otherwise .attached to the rib section. Tt is provided with two lips 21, which are bent in around the rod 16 to hold it in place, and is provided with eyes as shown for attachment of the fabric to the umbrella. 1n order to keep the rod from twisting, which would prevent *the cam 17 from properly engaging with the linger, the rod is provided with a` collar 22. This collar has a projecting portion which slides in an opening in the tip sleeve.

The latch is disengaged by sliding the rod 16 inward, thus engaging the cams 17 and 18. The latch is reset by moving the rod back to its initial position. This movement is automatic. Tn order to make it automatic, one way is to employ a spring 23 which surrounds the rod. One end of the spring will engage with the end of the tip section 2, while the other end will engage with the collar 22. Then the rod is pushed in the spring will be pressed. lhen pressure is released on the rod, the spring will move the rod back to its original position.

Thev embodiment-of the invention previously described, is like my Patent No. 949,7 59 in so far as it is necessary to separately disengage each latch. Umbrellas have seven or more ribs, and it is necessary with the embodiments chosen for illustration to actuate seven or more devices before the umbrellas can be folded. According to the present invention herein described and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 8 all of the latches may be actuated by a single movement. Referring to these figures there is illustrated a second sleeve 27 surrounding the sleeve 9. This sleeve 27 is formed of two concentric parts, one part making a close fit with the sleeve 9 and the other part surrounding the latch 25. The two parts are connected by means of a conical part 28, forming an annular cam. Tf the sleeve 27 is slid on the sleeve 9, the engagement of the part 28 with the latch 25 will release the latter from engagement with the sleeve 9. Further movement of the sleeve 27 will engage it with the crown 29 and still further movement will open the umbrella. Y

The sleeve'27 is provided with a flanged disk 30. This disk serves the purpose of a finger piece for moving the sleeve. serves 'as a retaining device for holding the ribs into contact with the staff, with the umbrella in partly Vfolded condition. Its main purpose is to provide a means for simultaneously actuating all of the latch disengaging devices. If the projecting piece 19 of all the ribs be inserted under the flange on the disk 30, and the disk and sleeve 27 be .slid in the direction .away from the umbrella handle, then all of the devices 19 will be simultaneously actuated and all of the latches will be released. Further movement in the same direction may Ycollapse all of the rods and the umbrella will thereby become folded. Y

If the finger pieces 19 project at different distances, then the movement of the sleeve will be easier as the latcheswill not all be started simultaneously. The same eect can be secured by producing an irregular engaging surface on the disk 30.

In accordance witlrtlie provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of my invention, together with the apparatus which l now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus Y It also shown is merely illustrative .and that the invention may be carried out ineother ways.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to .secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A folding umbrella comprising a staff, sleeve, stretcher and ribs, each rib being formed of two telescoping sections, a latch on each rib for holding the sections in eX- panded position, a rod on each rib projecting beyond the free end thereof, said rod being associated with the latch for disengaging the latter by means of the longitudinal movement vof the rod, and means associated with the sleeve for simultaneously actuating all of said rods to disengage the latches, .and a. spring associated with each rod to normally move the latter in the direction of the endpf the rib.

2. A folding umbrella comprising a staff,

sleeve, stretcher and ribs, each rib ybeing' Y ing beyond the free end thereof, said rod aforesaid rods to move the same by the slid- 10 being associated with the latch for disengaging of the sleeve.

ing the latter by means of the longitudinal This speciiication signed and witnessed movement of the rod,ua spring;l aslsociated this twenty-second day of October, 1914. with each rod to norma y move tie attei1 in 'v the direction of the end of the rib, asecond CHARLES H' RLY' sleeve surrounding the first and movable in lVitnesses:

relation thereto, and a disk carried by said ANNA E. BENTON,

sleeve adapted to engage with all of the HARRY PFosT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

